According to Cointelegraph, the criminal trial of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm recently began in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors stated in their opening remarks that Storm assisted the North Korean Lazarus Group hackers in laundering money using the Tornado Cash mixing service, allegedly violating U.S. sanctions orders, involving approximately $600 million in crypto assets from the 2022 Ronin Bridge incident. The prosecution claims that he "knowingly continued to commit crimes." Storm's defense lawyer countered that Tornado Cash is a "privacy protocol for everyone," and that he was not involved in the hacking and should not be held criminally liable for users abusing the tool. [Foresight News]

Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm goes to trial, prosecutors allege he helped North Korean hackers launder money